The Polynesians relied upon astronomy to steer their canoes while
sailing around the ocean. The sun guided them during the day, but at
night the boatmen watched the stars and the planets to be certain of
the direction they were sailing. It was therefore necessary for this
group of islanders to keep strict records of which stars rose where,
and when they were visible in the night sky.

Many times, the stars themselves were recorded in the tales of
great voyages made by the Polynesians' ancestors. In The Morning
Star Rises, the story of Hawaii-loa is expressed. Hawaii-loa, the
discoverer of the Polynesian islands, came from a far-away land in
search of another place for his people to live. He steered by the
stars Makalii (the Pleiades), Iao (Jupiter as a morning star), and
Hoku-ula (the Red Star, or Aldebaran). Experts have estimated that
the Polynesian islands were settled around the dawn of the Christian
era, so the sea-going islanders have been using the stars for at
least two thousand years.

Using the "pits" along the horizon and the stars that passed
through the zenith, the sailors were able to determine their latitude
and longitude. The Polynesians knew that the same star would pass
through the zenith at all points along the same latitude. When a
certain star passed overhead, the sailors knew that they had reached
the latitude they wanted. They also memorized the configuration of
the constellations, and could predict the motion of the planets along
the ecliptic and the motion of the Moon. However, not all of the
voyaging was done at the same time each year. Therefore, the
Polynesians memorized the brightness, color, and position of several
hundred stars, as well as the time of year that the stars were
visible. For checking the course during the day, the Polynesians were
able to tell the diurnal position of the Sun, as well as its distance
north or south of the equator on any day of the year.

The Polynesians also used astronomy for calendrical purposes. The
lunar calendar was used to determine feasting or fasting days, and
the solar calendar to mark the passing of days, months, and years.

The Polynesians, who were dependent upon astronomy for so many
reasons, were therefore quite observant of the skies. They also kept
good records of the astronomical movements so that they could predict
with accuracy their important days and so that they could make the
amazing ocean crossings they did.

These accurate records were also used for astrological purposes.
It was the conjunction of Iao, Makalii, and Hoku-ula that led
Hawaii-loa's first mate to recommend that the voyage change to that
direction. He believed it to be a favorable omen, and therefore told
Hawaii-loa to sail toward the conjunction. Many similar ideas held
for the ancient Polynesians. The gods could affect the human world,
and the positions of the planets and other heavenly bodies could
determine what the gods had done or would do. In order to predict
events, the same astronomical records that provided such excellent
navigation for the sailors were used to interpret the motions of the
heavenly bodies, much as the Greeks and the Chinese used astrology to
predict the future and discover corrupt governments, respectively.

This was therefore another reason the Polynesians had for creating
such records of planetary and stellar motion: it was a tool of the
people to determine the future, as well as the fate of loved ones.
When a canoe set off on a voyage, a piece of coconut skin was passed
beneath the canoe, then placed under a rock. When the travelers
should have reached their destination, the rock was lifted. Depending
on the amount of deformation and twisting that had happened, the
villagers could decide whether their loved ones had survived the
voyage.

The Creation of the
Universe

The Polynesians had a very different idea of the creation of the
universe than did other contemporary societies. Most Polynesian
stories of the universe's creation contain four main elements. First,
there is a "world egg" with the seed of all existence. Second, the
earth is brought out of nothingness. Third, in the stories of
creation, Ta'aroa (also known as Tangaroa, Tangaloa, or Kanaloa) was
the Creator. Fourth, the earth and heaven were the source of all life
in the universe.

Here is a typical story of creation, paraphrased from Makemson,
pp. 49-71.

In the beginning, there was the infant god Ta'aroa. He
lived in the shell Rumia, which was Upset. He broke open the shell
and stared at the empty space around him. No other creatures existed
then, so he grew another shell around himself to shut out the cold of
the void. Ta'aroa grew to be a young boy, and was aware of his power.
He broke through this second shell in order to create other beings
like himself.

Ta'aroa used the shell he had just broken as stratum rock to form
the earth. He dwelt in Rumia, the dome of the sky. The only other
living creature was Tumu-rai-fenua (the Foundation of the Heavens and
the Earth), the Great Octopus, who held the sky close to the earth
with his four legs, North, South, East, and West. On the earth, the
land became firm.

Ta'aroa then created Tumu-nui (Great Foundation) and Paparaharaha
(Stratum Rock) in order to create life, but they would not wed. As a
result, Ta'aroa created Atea, Bright Expanse, who lived in Rumia with
him. By Papa-tuoi (Thin Earth), she was the mother of children who
were artisans for Rai-tupua-nui (Great Sky Builder). These children
helped him build ten heavens, the highest being the Sky of Sacred
Omens of Tane.

Atea then married Rua-tupua-nui, Source of Great Growth; they were
the parents of all celestial beings. Then she took a third husband,
Fa'a Hotu (Make Fruitful), and the two deities switched genders. Atea
then looked into the eyes of his wife Hotu, and the two had a son
(Ra), who divided the world into North, East, West, and South.

The world was still in darkness, though, and the gods became
discontent. They schemed to kill the octopus in order to raise up the
sky. Rua-tupua-nui succeeded in killing the octopus, but the arms
still held fast to the earth. Artisans came, but they were afraid of
the wrath of Sky-Father Atea, so they would not separate the earth
and sky. Ra was the first one to succeed in raising the sky up. He
raised Rumia to the top of the mountain Moua-raha on Porapora, but he
became humpbacked and had to stop.

The hero Maui-ti'i-ti'i thought of hacking off the arms of the
octopus, and managed to then raise Rumia up to the tops of the
highest mountains. He then flew up to the highest heaven, and asked
Tane for help. Much disorder existed on earth, but Tane fixed it and
raised the sky. Reeds bearing red blossoms were placed along the
horizon to help support the sky, and can still be seen at sunrise, at
sunset, and in the Aurora Australis.

The stories change as one passes from island to island, and even
within different areas of the same islands. The number of heavens
could vary anywhere from three to twelve, and were formed by
concentric hemispheres of solid material resting on the plane of the
earth. Sometimes the gods had different names, and sometimes the
world was not created, but evolved from nothingness. However, all
contain the four main ideas essential to any story about the creation
of the universe.

The creation stories, much like those telling the story of
Hawaii-loa's voyage, have been passed down for many centuries, and
can still tell us a great deal about the Polynesian society. The
ideas of multiple gods and that the gods reside in other worlds are
expressed through these tales. That the gods could affect the events
on the earth is another idea conveyed by the Polynesian tales.

(written by Marguerite Smith, with assistance from Abby Clark, and
Chris Habetler)